Hospital of St Cross

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We rated caring as good. We assessed 5 quality statements. People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each patient. Staff understood the emotional and social impact that a person’s care, treatment, or condition had on their wellbeing and on those close to them. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People's Experience

Staff treated people with kindness. For example, 3 patients we spoke with on Cedar ward reported kind and compassionate from staff. However, they are independently said they felt ‘bored’ with limited activity. We raised this with senior staff who said the patient experience team would assess activity options with volunteers and patient partners. People reported positive experiences of care from staff and felt staff listened to them. They said they had their privacy and dignity respected.

Feedback from staff and leaders

Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each patient and showed understanding and a non-judgmental attitude when caring for or discussing patients. Staff interaction with patients was good. Staff maintained unconscious patients’ dignity in theatres. Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social and religious needs of patients and how they may relate to care needs.

Feedback from Partners

Feedback from partners was positive. Partners made positive comments about the service being efficient.

Observation

We observed staff showing compassion to a patient prior to discharge. The patient had undergone a hand surgery. They helped them get changed and made them comfortable. We observed positive interaction between the staff and the patient. Staff treated patients with dignity and respect for their privacy. During all interventions, staff pulled curtains around patients or closed the door to the side room. Patients were kept covered with sheets and blankets.

People's Experience

Patients who had a learning disability had magnets placed on their walls to alert staff about their disability. A hospital passport was available to support the care of patients living with a learning disability or with autism. Staff in the day assessment unit gave an example where a patient living with learning disability was cared for in a side room to provide them with privacy and dignity. They clearly articulated ways in which they would support and communicate with the patient.

Feedback from staff and leaders

Staff understood the emotional and social impact that a person’s care, treatment, or condition had on their wellbeing and on those close to them. Staff understood the anxiety associated with the procedures and supported patients as much as possible. Staff assessed patients social, psychological, or religious needs at pre-operative assessment and noted on patients’ records so that any adjustments could be made ahead of admission. Theatre staff discussed patients living with learning disabilities, autism, and special needs during team brief. They prepared the theatre team for when the patient arrived allowing objects, story boards, relatives, and carers to be with the patient for as long as possible. Patients were recovered in a quieter area ensuring carers were at their bedside as soon as possible to minimise stress of being confused in an unfamiliar environment.

Observation

Staff supported patients to make informed decisions about their care. Staff talked with patients, families and carers in a way they could understand, using communication aids where necessary.

Processes

Patients and their families could give feedback on the service and their treatment and staff supported them to do this. The service had surveys including the NHS Friends and Family Test to collate patient, their families and staff feedback. Patient feedback was received from 1,164 respondents in the national inpatient survey 2023 and demonstrated high levels of satisfaction for the compassion received from staff and almost all responses were good or very good. There were high scores in the Friends and Family Test survey (96.3%) for patients being treated with dignity and respect and individual comments often referred to staff being friendly. In the CQC inpatient survey of 2023, the trust result for patient satisfaction was among the lowest in England for acute hospitals. However, this covered both sites including the far larger acute hospital in Coventry and we are not able to report these results only for Hospital of St Cross.

People's Experience

Patients were given a choice of food and drinks to meet their preferences. Menus were very varied with a wide choice of meals. They met a variety of cultural and personal dietary preferences and were well aligned to meet the needs of local communities. Following our assessment, staff told us patients had access to art packs which were held by wards and therapy staff. Staff played music in ward areas to support patients who were agitated, and chaplaincy support was available for patients who required a visit.

Feedback from staff and leaders

Staff made sure patients and those close to them understood their care and treatment. Patients had the independence and control over their appointments which included changing the date and time of the appointments.

Processes

Staff understood and applied the policy on meeting the information and communication needs of patients with a disability or sensory loss. The trust had an ‘interpreting and translation policy’ and where language barriers were apparent, staff used an external language line who assisted with interpreting and conveying the conversation between clinicians and patients. The service had information leaflets available in languages spoken by the patients and local community which included Punjabi in addition to leaflets available in an easy-to-read format. Relatives could translate for day-to-day matters such as meal choices, but professional interpreters were used for all clinical decisions in line with evidence-based guidance.

People's Experience

Patients told us staff listened and responded to them when they raised concerns about, for example, their discomfort or any distress.

Feedback from staff and leaders

Staff said they were alert to people’s needs and took time to observe, communicate and engage people in discussion about their immediate needs. They found out how to respond in the most appropriate way to respect people’s wishes. Staff made sure patients living with mental health problems and learning disabilities received the necessary care to meet their needs.

Observation

We observed staff making sure comfort and patient’s needs were a priority. They also ensured there were no visitors at mealtime except carers for patients living with dementia or learning disability if they were available to offer support.

Feedback from staff and leaders

Managers ensured staff wellbeing was important within their culture. Staff had regular breaks and there were appropriate rest areas. We observed good team working throughout the areas we assessed. Most staff told us they worked well as a team and helped each other.

Processes

Managers held team meetings to provide feedback to staff and hear their suggestions for improvements. There were effective processes to ensure staff were supported with their wellbeing which enabled them to continue in their roles of providing care and treatment to patients.